About Repairs.
Page 15
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A paper entitled " The Repair of Motor Vehicles ." was read by Mr. David J. Smith before the Institution of Automobile Engineers on Wednesday, the 10th inst., on the occasion of the fourth meeting of the present session.
This paper forms a useful digest of the practical experience of the motor-vehicle repairer, and it. contains much that is undoubtedly true with regard to the difficulties with which the repairer who really understands the job has to contend. We propose briefly to review Mr. Smith's writing, and to draw the attention of our readers to those portions which have some special application to the conditions pertaining to the commercial-vehicle industry.
Mr. Smith has arrived at a standard figure for the charging of repair costs by means of the collation of a large number of actual cases over a period of five years. Lie writes: " By taking the average of a very large number of cars in the five years 1906.10, the author considers that the cost of repairs during this period is equal to 25 per cent, of the price of these cars when new, apart front any question of tyres or repairs due to accident."
There is much that is true in the statements which follow. The coming of the special organized storage depots for commercial-motor vehicles is foreshadowed in some of the statements.
"Firms manufacturing cars do not want to be bothered with repairs if their works are, as they should be, fully employed.
A firm can only repair a few of the cars it turns out. " It would be better in the author's opinion for makers not to touch repairs at all, either in the works or in branch repair shops.'' The ignorance of the owner with regard to what constitutes proper and efficient maintenance and repair is perhaps more noticeable in the case of the private. owner than of the man who employs industrial vehicles. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that Mr. Smith has noticed this characteristic in the following paragraph " A manufacturing firm repairing its own cars is in a peculiar position. Many owners of cars, especially if they reside within easy reach of the works or repair branch, seem to expect that, having bought one of this firm's cars, all repairs, adjustments, etc., required for a considerable time after purchase should be done, if not absolutely free, at any rate upon terms very advantageous to the owner. The refusal to do this, or the charging of a price that will recompense the firm for the work done, often brings about a rupture between the maker and the owner."
The trouble that ensues by the employment of unskilled repairers, of whom there are unfortunately many, is also a subject for comment: A man who will exercise considerable care in the selection of a repairer for his watch, will frequently hand over his car for repair to men of whose capabilities he knows nothing.
The author would sooner trust a car for repair to a good num with no plant, than to an unskilled man with any anemia of plant."
Mr. Smith's best work in connection with this paper is undoubtedly that in which he draws attention once again to the difficulty of standardizing parts which have to replace others in situations which exhibit wear in themselves. Spare parts are generally only stocked in the standard original sizes, and very often this is useless to the repairer who looks to the manufacturer to support him by means of the rapid supply of suitable renlacements.
ThE subject of wear allowance on spares is one that gives the repairer considerable trouble.. Many manufactum.s stuck spare parts only in one size, the original new size of the part. In many cases, to replace a worn part by one of the original size would be almost useless ; piston rings are a glaat illustration.
" There are certain parts of a car which it does not pay ,en a large repairing firm to touch, unless the firm is going to seek for outside work in the various departments that would have. to be created to deal with these parts. These are :—(1) The electrical equipment of a car, including magnetos, coils, dynamos, and accumulators; i2) bevel and worm gearing; (3) artillery wood wheels; (4) radiators and lamps ; (5) springs ; (6) tyre covers."
The ignorance of many repairers as to the actual material used by manufacturers for their components is occasionally the cause of disaster. Only properlytrained engineers should therefore be entrusted with the manufacture of replacements. Such men only will be alive to the possible danger likely to arise trom the use of inferior material.
" Now that motorcar manufacturers are making the utmost, cse of the latest discoveries in high tensile steel, it behoves repairers to be extremely careful in seleetinab material to replace any broken part of a car if they intend to make this part rather than buy it from the makers of the car."
The anther has something to say with regard to standardization : he is not hopeful of developments.
"The general adoption of ball cage bearings by practically all motor maaufacturers is the nearest approach that the motor trade has yet made towards standardization.
" They are one of the very few things a repairer can stock. No further extension of standardization in working parts is to be looked for for some time; it is too dangerous a subject for motorcar manufacturers, who must at all costs preserve the individuality of their cars."
Later in his paper, Mr. Smith evidently speaks from his own heart when he says :— "
All repairers know the owner well who, having brought in his ear to have the rear mudguard stays straightened, rings up on the telephone a fortnight later and informs the repairer that since he thoroughly nverhauled his car it has not been running well!"
We conclude this review with a reproduction of a table which the author has included concerning the nature of the breakages on a large number of cars.
ANALYSIS OF BREAKAGES ow 300 CARS.
Broken aluminium castBroken brake drums ... 3 ings ... 104 Broken steering gearboxes 6
Broken cast-iron castings 27 Broken front axle forgings 3 Broken crankshafts 12 Broken front axle tubular 5
Broken connecting rods 9 Broken tubular case of Broken connecting rod